My work involves three primary functions, Anesthesiology, Pathology & Surgery. I endeavor to minimize any stress or discomfort that our subjects may experience through medical intervention. During surgeries, I provide access to the femoral artery, which allows us to study the coronary system in vivo. After research tissue has been obtained, I process and prepare it for histology. The resulting microscope slides provide a wealth of information regarding the disease state of our animals. Below is a sample of one such slide, showing collagen (blue-green) contained amongst the smooth muscle cells (red) of a coronary artery.

Early changes in the arterial structure can be detected and quantified, which may help our understanding of atheroschlerosis and methods to inhibit or reduce this process.